ABSTRACT
In the United States, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has and continues to play an important part in its development, contributing to teaching skills required in particular occupations. This, in turn, contributes to reducing unemployment. TVET, known as Career and Technical Education (CTE), is a complex and multi-layered structure in the United States, comprising involvement of the federal, state as well as local governments. Though there have been multiple legislations in the context of CTE, the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 was the first legislation which authorised federal funding for vocational education. In this chapter, we provide an outline of the vocational training (VT) and vocational education (VE) structure in the United States, with a detailed understanding of the division of authority between the federal and state governments, both in terms of the organisational structure as well as financing responsibilities. The chapter looks into the historical evolution of CTE, related policies and how the structures advance with the changing scenarios in the country. This would provide a clearer understanding of the possible linkages between general and technical/vocational education. We also provide a comparative analysis of the state-level CTE policies, which differ vastly because of the state diversity in terms of employment situation, immigration policies, education policies and industrialisation levels. Such analysis is necessary in order to evaluate the success and challenges faced by the US policies on VT and VE. Following such analysis, we aim to provide a perspective on the changing CTE norms in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the chapter suggests some policy measures taking cues from the best practices on TVET across the globe.
